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TUAW.com, the Unofficial Apple Weblog, Explores the Versatility of V-Studio 100

Mac+VS100_v1Josh Carr, a reporter for the unofficial Apple weblog, TUAW.com, is slowly migrating from his analog mixer to the world of digital audio workstations. In studio, Josh uses Logic Pro for his music production needs. During the past two weeks, he has managed to learn the ins and outs of the V-Studio 100 as a DAW Controller and SD Recorder. In his review, Josh comments on how versatile the unit really is:

“When you toss in the SD card of your choosing, you’re able to record individual tracks for later synchronization… set it up at your latest show and record it for critiquing or a low budget live album… you can even toss an already-produced track from your computer onto the SD Card and use if for live playback… if you’re a one man band like me.”

Keeping the holiday season in mind, Josh recommends the V-Studio 100 as a great gift for the musician making the jump from analog mixer to DAW controller and for someone setting up a home studio on a budget.

Read Josh’s full review of Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 at TUAW.com

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Amplify your Home Recordings with Guitar Tracks Pro

GTP4_TrackViewFretbase.com’s Brian Stolte, mainly a Garageband / Mac OS user, pulled out his Windows XP laptop recently to try out Cakewalk’s Guitar Tracks Pro 4 and was pleasantly surprised at the wealth of tools available for the guitar player turned home recording guru. “As compared to Garageband from Apple, one of the first things I noticed was there were a lot more options and features for each track,” he wrote.

Stolte was impressed by the wealth of ‘extras’ Guitar Tracks Pro offers. “Beyond the recording software, Cakewalk has included a demo version of Guitar Rig 3 to provide you with a ton of amp modeling options,” he noted. Later, he found that “the ability to generate tablature or notation from any MIDI track is handy for exporting individual parts for band mates.”

Apple and Garageband customers are notoriously loyal to their OS but, even Stolte had to give some props to Guitar Tracks Pro: “Overall I thought Guitar Tracks Pro 4 performed very well on my laptop and provided a very good solution to a guitar player looking for a way to create and record new songs. I found myself using the application to record guitar parts and riffs along with some backing drum tracks.”

Read Brian’s full review at Fretbase.com

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Tim Wynn Scores Inspirational Film, 'To Save A Life' (2010)

TSALPostersmComposer and dedicated SONAR user, Tim Wynn of Sonic Fuel Studios, scored the music for the new inspirational film, To Save A Life (New Song Pictures), set to release on January 22, 2010. The film promotes the importance of making sacrifices to help others in a time of need. In the movie, Jake Taylor’s life is turned upside down, after a childhood friend’s death, and he is forced to make a decision that could change his life forever.

Visit the To Save A Life official website to read the synopsis, listen to the music and sign up to make a difference.

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Building a Better DAW with SONAR 8.5

blogcritics_logoSoftware Developer and Sci/Tech Reviewer at BlogCritics.org,  T. Michael Testi likes what he sees in the new version of Cakewalk’s flagship digital audio workstation, SONAR. With improvements made to its mainstay features including Session Drummer, AudioSnap and Step Sequencer, SONAR is transforming into a simpler and more tangible product for those new to the music production world.

Session Drummer 3 sports a 3D photo-realistic drum kit with 200+ pre-loaded percussive sounds and 20+ new kits. AudioSnap 2.0 employs a cleaner user interface with a dedicated transient tool and proportional stretching mode to make timing adjustments in several places a cinch. Step Sequencer 2.0 brings more flexibility to composing patterns by grid with brand new tools for auto-populate and per-step probability.

“With SONAR 8.5,” says Testi, “it was all about the optimization of the features that were (already) there… These (features) will not only improve your production, but will get your creative juices going”

See what’s new and improved in SONAR 8.5 Producer on the The Ram Review at Blogcritics.org.

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Chartjackers Take Over UK Billboard Charts to Benefit Charity

ChartJackersWith the development of social networking sites, the internet has made it easier than ever for musicians to create, promote and market their musical talents to the world.  Many use MySpace Music as an unofficial Electronic Press Kit, Twitter as their concert promoter and Youtube as their own personal MTV.

Four teenagers in the UK have pushed the envelope of the music industry, as their crowd-sourced single has reached #1 on the Billboard Indie charts. A BBC television program, Chartjackers, documents the teens quest to break into the UK music charts and benefit the “Children In Need” charity.

Beginning in September 2009, the “Chartjackers” – Charlie, Alex, Johnny and Jimmy – built the project from scratch asking for the goodwill and participation of those watching on the internet. With no previous experience in producing music videos, the group pieced together the entire project via the Chartjackers Youtube Channel, constructing the music video, step by step, with audience comments and video replies in under ten weeks.

Continue reading “Chartjackers Take Over UK Billboard Charts to Benefit Charity”

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An Affordable Alternative for Mobile Recording

VS-100-Multiple_Screenshots_Black_BGRecording your music, whether on the road or in studio, can be a costly venture. Expenses for instruments, equipment, session time and sound engineers can land you in serious debt. Many of today’s musicians take the DIY approach, either hiring friends in the biz or building their own home studios, to save time, money and resources.

Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 is a perfect companion for the ‘new age’ musician. An all in one portable music studio, the V-Studio 100 is a high quality audio and MIDI interface, DAW controller, digital mixer and SD Recorder. You can take the unit to a live gig, plug in your instruments, and record the entire show with an SD card. With it’s on-board effects (Reverb, EQ, Compression), the V-Studio 100 doubles as a digital mixer during your live performance. Prefer to record in your home studio? The V-Studio 100 is also Mackie-control friendly, compatible with both Mac and PC DAWs.

As described in the latest issue of Tape Op, the V-Studio 100 is a “very cost-effective package for recording.” The reviewer, Alan Tubbs, goes on to say, “I’m sure you could rig up a similar system out of various components, but it wouldn’t be as compact and would most likely cost more.”

Pick up the latest issue of Tape Op magazine to learn how Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100 can save you more than just a few dollars.

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Meet Cakewalk Representatives This Holiday Season

Edit-5During this Holiday season, we would like to take some time to personally assist you with any questions you might have about our products.

During the coming week, our technical sales representatives will be at select music retailers across the country with the sole purpose of helping you learn more about SONAR 8.5, V-Studio 100, V-Studio 700, our audio and MIDI interfaces, desktop monitors and more.

Find a location near you on Cakewalk’s Tour page.

We look forward to meeting you!

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Shawn Clement Recognized for Epic Sci-Fi Soundtrack

shawn-clementComposer of fan favorites including Batman, Buffy the Vampire Slayer and American Idol, Shawn Clement gears up for an exciting year as Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey hits theaters with galactic force!

As featured in a recent issue of ASCAP’s Playback magazine, Shawn says ‘this is one of the more fulfilling gigs that I’ve ever done.”

To record the film’s dramatic score, Shawn worked with George Lucas’ legendary Skywalker Sound (the production house responsible for the Star Wars films) and the San Franscisco Symphony. He scored the 3-D, fully animated, feature length film using SONAR with an 82-piece orchestra  and real NASA-discovered space sounds.

Quantum Quest takes viewers on a solar safari through space as Dave, a photon living on the sun, gets caught in a battle between the forces of good and evil. Dave must journey through the solar system to find his way to the Cassini Space Craft before his friends and the universe are destroyed forever.

Click here to view exclusive pictures from the Quantum Quest scoring session

Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey will land in theaters in early 2010.

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Ultimate Guide to Cakewalk Synths Gets Facelift

cakewalk synthsCakewalk synthesizers are among the most commonly used software synthesizers in the business. Rapture, Dimension Pro and Z3TA+ are capable of creating powerhouse sounds that will turn your music into sonic masterpieces and Simon Cann wants to take your music production to that level.

In his guide, Cakewalk Synthesizers: From Presets to Power User (2nd Edition), Simon Cann will help you understand the basics of synthesizer programming and teach you how to utilize Cakewalk’s synthesizers to their full potential. Since the first edition of this book was released in 2006, Cakewalk has added four new synthesizers to the product line including Session Drummer 3, Beatscape, Dimension Pro, and Rapture.  The updated book begins with an overview of the general principles of music synthesis and sound creation — covering oscillators, different synthesis methods, filters, envelopes, LFOs, and effects — and then shows you how to make your own sounds with Cakewalk’s new instruments and incorporate them into your own productions.

In addition, Simon has included a free download package with the purchase of Cakewalk Synthesizers covering a wealth of information on the .SFZ format.

Visit Simon Cann’s website to pre-order your copy today.

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Party Hard with Cakewalk & Andrew WK in NYC

AndrewWK_2-150x150Come one, come all to Times Square (Broadway & 42nd Street) in New York City on Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 9:00pm. Cakewalk and Andrew WK will announce the winner of the CMJ Music Marathon Twitter Riddle Contest on location! 

The winner of the contest will receive a prize pack including Cakewalk’s V-Studio 100  (the portable music production studio for Mac & PC), a signed copy of Andrew’s new album “55 CADILLAC” (on both vinyl and CD), as well as an autographed poster!

Have no idea what the Twitter Riddle contest is? No worries, there’s something for everyone! Join us in Times Square (same time, same place) for more fun and games. Look for the limo as Andrew will randomly hand out 55 Prize Packs containing autographed merchandise. In addition, 4 lucky people who come to Times Square in person will take the limo with Andrew to Santos Party House and PARTY. Visit our contest page to get all the details!